Read the latest news on poverty in Scotland.
Candidates in May’s local elections are being urged to take a pledge to tackle poverty in their communities. The pledge shows that candidates support the measures in a new manifesto, launched today (Thu 21) by the Poverty Alliance, including prioritising poverty as an issue, boosting incomes, improving local services, and strengthening communities. Poverty Alliance director … Read more
The Poverty Alliance has launched a new information leaflet, to help parents and carers apply for the Scottish Child Payment. The Scottish Child Payment from Social Security Scotland is worth £80 every four weeks for each eligible child aged under 6. For children aged between 6 and 16, you may be eligible for a bridging … Read more
Reacting to the publication of new statistics on poverty in Scotland and across the UK, Poverty Alliance director Peter Kelly said: “In a compassionate society like ours, we believe in looking after one another and protecting each other from harm. But these new figures show that we are failing to put that compassion into practice. … Read more
Reacting to the Scottish Government’s publication of its Child Poverty Delivery Plan, Peter Kelly, director of the Poverty Alliance said: “Child poverty is unjust and unnecessary. It’s a sign of Scotland’s commitment to compassion and justice that there are stretching targets to end it. “A clear message from Poverty Alliance members ahead of the new … Read more
Reacting to today’s Spring Statement (Wed 23 Mar) , Peter Kelly, director of the Poverty Alliance said: “Government should be about compassion and justice, and making sure people are able to live as full a life as they can. The Chancellor said his Spring Statement today was all about security. Yet his plans show a … Read more
Anti-poverty campaigners will go to Downing Street today (Tue 22 Mar) to tell Chancellor Rishi Sunak to end the ‘unjust’ benefit cap, on the same day that new polling revealed a majority of the UK public want to see the policy scrapped. Last week, more than 100 campaign groups, trade unions, faith groups and health … Read more
Cash-first payments to support families should be at the heart of the Scottish Government’s efforts to end child poverty, according to a new report that outlines the views and experiences of grassroots organisations and people living on low incomes in Scotland. As a contribution to the development of the Scottish Government’s new Child Poverty Delivery … Read more
Anti-poverty campaigners from across the UK have come together with trade unions, faith groups and health organisations to urge Chancellor Rishi Sunak to scrap the ‘unjust’ benefit cap. The benefit cap blocks households from getting all the help they need from the social security system. In Scotland, more than 6,000 households are affected, losing out … Read more
Dr Laura Robertson, Senior Research Officer at The Poverty Alliance provided the below evidence to the Education, Children and Young People Committee in February 2022. The poverty-attainment gap: the context The attainment gap in Scotland starts in the early years and widens as children and young people move through the education system. From the early … Read more
People on low incomes across the country are being caught up in a rising tide of hardship, with the cost of living crisis combining with an inadequate social security system to pull them deeper into poverty. Today’s Ofgem announcement threatens to turn this rising tide into a flood, as more people are forced into impossible … Read more
Enter your email address to receive regular e-updates about our work. If at any time you want to stop receiving these, simply contact us. We’ll keep your details safe and won’t share them with any other organisations for their marketing purposes. For full details see our Privacy Policy.